Payal Kapadia Joins Cannes 2025 Jury Led by Juliette Binoche

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia is set to make a remarkable return to the Cannes Film Festival, this time as a member of its prestigious jury. "Filmmaker Payal Kapadia is returning to the Cannes Film Festival as part of its prestigious jury after her Grand Prix win at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 for her debut feature film All We Imagine As Light, festival organisers said on Monday."

An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Kapadia has maintained a strong relationship with Cannes over the years. She first participated in the festival in 2017 with her short film Afternoon Clouds at the Cannes La Cinefondation section. She further cemented her presence in 2021 when her non-fiction feature A Night of Knowing Nothing won the L'Œil d'or award for Best Documentary. Most recently, her debut feature All We Imagine As Light — an evocative portrayal of female friendship, love, and longing set in Mumbai — achieved a historic milestone. "Her film All We Imagine As Light, an ode to female friendship, love and longing in Mumbai, became the first film from India to be part of Cannes Competition after a 30-year gap."

For its 78th edition, the Cannes jury will be chaired by acclaimed French actor Juliette Binoche. "To be headed by French actor Juliette Binoche, the jury for the upcoming 78th edition of the gala also includes names such as American actor and filmmaker Halle Berry, Italian actor Alba Rohrwacher, French-Moroccan writer Leila Slimani, Congolese director-producer Dieudo Hamadi, Korean director and screenwriter Hong Sangsoo, Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas and American actor Jeremy Strong."

The jury will be responsible for selecting the winner of the coveted Palme d'Or from among 21 films in the main Competition. "The panel will award its top prize, the Palme d’Or, to one of the 21 films in Competition. Greta Gerwig awarded Sean Baker’s Anora the award in 2024. According to the official Cannes Film Festival website, the winners will be announced on May 24 at the closing ceremony of the gala."

Juliette Binoche, known for her distinguished career spanning films like Certified Copy, The English Patient, Three Colors: Blue, Chocolat, and most recently The Taste of Things, brings immense experience to her role as jury president. "Binoche, one of the most reputed actors from France, is known for her illustrious career that includes credits like Certified Copy, The English Patient, Three Colors: Blue, Chocolat and most recently The Taste of Things."

Payal Kapadia now joins a prestigious list of Indian artists who have served on the Cannes jury in the past, including legends such as Mrinal Sen, Mira Nair, Shekhar Kapur, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nandita Das, Sharmila Tagore, Vidya Balan, and Deepika Padukone.

As the festival approaches, Kapadia’s presence on the jury stands as another proud moment for Indian cinema on the global stage.